Reading the Signs
by sassywriterchick
Summary: She hadn't seen him for years, but she wasn't about to let him get married to someone else—VeronicaLogan


A/n: Anyone who has heard this song can totally tell what this little one-shot is based off of. Seriously though, I love LoVe! Like I'm addicted now. This is not movie compliant. Please let me know if this is bad, it's my first time really writing these two. Thank you!

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_She floats down the aisle like a pageant queen, but I know you wish it was me. You wish it was me, don't you? _

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Veronica had a routine. She would wake up, make a coffee, and then watch the news before she got dressed and went to work. Her routine spoke of many practiced days, many nights in the city that never sleeps. There was always news to be had, and none of it ever had anything to do with her.

She flicked on the TV, idly nursing her coffee as she watched a report on the recent muggings.

"And did you hear?" the newscaster said in a cheery voice, breaking off from the somber topic. Veronica was surprised to see Logan's picture appear on her television screen, looking pained and with his arm around some pretty girl. "Logan Echolls is getting married!"

The coffee mug fell from her hands and shattered into pieces on her kitchen floor, the coffee spilling like tears onto the cheap tile.

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She really shouldn't be doing this.

She had told herself this twenty times in the last five minutes, and each time with a new reason _why_ this was such a terrible, terrible idea. All of these reasons didn't stop her feet from pounding out a distinct rhythm towards the church doors, one hand in her pocket. She was only coming here to tell him the truth, she reasoned with herself, it had nothing to do with their past…_history_. As she thought the word, she ducked behind a tree, thoughts and assumptions clouding her better judgment. Or was her judgment clouded from the beginning?

She wouldn't want Logan Echolls to get married to someone who was allegedly having an affair with her ex-boyfriend now would she? That was just something that friends did…wasn't it? Friends checked on their friends fiancées, right? She winced to herself at the word _friend, _because she wasn't quite sure that was what they were now. It was, however, what she was using to convince herself that's why she was doing this. It wasn't like she was jealous or anything. She hadn't seen him for years, she has no reason to be.

It doesn't explain why she looked up his fiancée when plans of the wedding hit the news like a bomb. It wasn't hard, suddenly everything was about Logan Echolls and his big smashing hit of a wedding that was happening_ ASAP_. She was just a concerned ex-girlfriend, that's all. That's why she used her connections to look up a little background on this woman. Then followed her home one day, after conveniently arriving in Neptune, and scored a money shot of the woman shacking up with someone in the Neptune Grand.

Maybe that was a little much for being _just friends_. Even if they were friends, why hadn't he invited her to his wedding? He had invited Dick, Mac, Wallace, even _Weevil_. Her invitation could have gotten lost in the mail, she supposed as she watched guest after guest enter the building.

_Just go home Veronica, _she told herself, _Let Logan handle this. _She couldn't will her feet to turn around however; it felt like they were glued on one path, and that was towards the church.

She never pictured Logan getting married in a church, she mused as she slowly crept out from in-between the trees and began to make her way towards the entrance. He was more of a special beautiful location kind of guy. _Of course, you don't really know him that well anymore do you? _

"I'm sorry," said the bridesmaid at the door, "It's invite only."

"Oh I do have an invitation though!" Veronica exclaimed brightly, twirling a piece of hair around her finger. "Well, I was supposed to meet my boyfriend here, but he already went in." The bridesmaid looks her up and down, and then laughed.

"We've got paparazzi all around here claiming the same thing. Well, it's all-different but you just want to get some good shots huh? Well Lindsey told me _specifically_ not to let any of you in."

"Oh no, I really have a boyfriend in there. His name is Wallace," Veronica lied, hoping that Wallace would just go along with whatever she was saying. "Just tell him that Veronica is here."

"Not Veronica Mars right?" the girl demanded nervously.

"No," Veronica laughed and waved a hand absently, "Veronica Ec—Eccleson." The bridesmaid looked suspicious but handed her list to the girl next to her and went to find Wallace. Meanwhile, Veronica was left feeling like a complete idiot. She had almost blown her cover by saying Veronica _Echolls_. If Logan had been around to hear that, he never would've let it go.

The bridesmaid returned, with Wallace.

"Hey V," Wallace said brightly, moving forward to wrap an arm around her waist. "So sorry about that, I forgot that you told me to wait for you outside."

"It's alright," Veronica said, leaning her head on his shoulder as they walked inside. Once through the doors, Wallace pulled her into an adjacent hallway.

"What are you doing?" he asked her, and she smiled.

"Nice to see you too."

"So this is why you're back in town," he deduced, smirking at her.

"What?!"

"Well, you suddenly come barging back into Neptune, talk to no one but your Dad, and then you show up at Logan's wedding?"

Veronica could feel her cheeks heating up, which was something. Almost no one could make her blush, save Logan. "It's not like that!"

"Sure," Wallace shook his head, and grinned. "Just go and hide in the curtains or something V, if you're here to stick this one out. You'll be thrown out if anyone else sees you."

"And why is that?"

"Because Logan's future wife _hates _you," Wallace said, "She made it very adamant that you were not allowed to be on the premises."

"Let me guess," Veronica grinned, "She knows I got the money shot."

"What?"

"Oh nothing!" Veronica trilled, tapping Wallace on the cheek. "Don't worry, I just came to talk to Logan."

It was as soon as she said that when the organ started playing something that sounded like a death march. Veronica went white, looked at Wallace, and breathed: _shit_.

"Look if you're going to stay this one out," Wallace repeated his earlier statement, looking at her and shaking his head again, "Just do _something_, okay?" She didn't ask him what he meant before he ducked back into the hall. Sighing through her teeth, Veronica reached up and let her hair down. She was an expert at this by now, and carefully arranged the blonde locks so they were hanging in front of any distinguishable features. She approached the door, and then heard Logan's bride to be's voice for the first time.

"And you haven't seen Veronica Mars have you?" the woman snarled, and Veronica could have sworn she could pass for one of the hyenas in _the Lion King_.

"Nope," said the helpful bridesmaid from earlier, "Listen Lindsey, are you sure you want to do this—"

"Of course I'm _sure_, that is the Aaron Echolls son up there that's waiting for me. I'm just gonna run him dry before the divorce."

Veronica had to use every aspect of training she had ever received from the FBI or her Father to not jump out and wrap her hands around the girl's throat.

_Logan could really pick them_.

As the bride started to march down the aisle (alone Veronica noted) she ran in behind her and darted behind the nearest curtain. Once she was certain no one had seen her (except for an amused Wallace) she dared to get a peek at Logan's fiancée in person.

She was _gorgeous. _The news coverage hadn't done her justice. Veronica's little stake out hadn't done her justice. She had waves of Carmel hair, beautifully tan skin, and had the body of a supermodel. She was wearing a tight wedding dress that showed all her curves, and was clutching an equally beautiful bouquet.

_I wonder if I had accepted his apology in college, would I have been the one walking down the aisle? _Veronica thought, and then quickly pinched herself. That was a stupid thought. You shouldn't go down the path of 'what ifs' because they didn't do her any good. It certainly wouldn't do her any good.

Gathering up her courage, she lifted her eyes across the room to where Logan stood waiting.

She was expecting to him look happy, but he just looked exhausted as he rested his eyes on the bride, and then twirked his lips up into a half smile. He looked good, she realized, He was taller, more muscular, had lost of all that teenage youth in his features. Even if the happiness was missing from his eyes. The happiness that really should be there.

He's got the sort of lost look he generally gets when they break up or have a fight, the look that means he's aching on the inside. The look it seemed only she could pick out, because everyone else oohs and aahs as the bride stopped before Logan.

He was taller, more muscular, had lost of all that teenage youth in his features. Why the hell was he doing this? He didn't look happy, he didn't look like he was having the best day of his life, he almost looked like he had almost been _forced_ into it. That sort of thing didn't really happen nowadays did it?

"Wondering what's up?" came a quiet voice from behind her. Veronica whirled around, totally caught, and saw a small brown haired girl standing there. "I'm Heather. Logan's friend."

"Why is he doing this?" Veronica asked, quietly enough not to disrupt the ceremony. Heather shrugged.

"I don't quite know, but I think it has something to do with Logan's Dad setting the whole thing up if he wasn't married by the time he turned twenty-eight."

"Why didn't he find someone?" Veronica heard herself asking, "someone that actually made him happy?" Heather, who Veronica now recognized as the girl from the elevator all those years ago, smiled sadly.

"He was waiting for you to come back," the brown haired girl said shrugging, "At least that's what I think. Logan isn't one of those 'shares all his feelings sort of guy,'"

"…Speak now or forever hold their peace," she suddenly heard the priest announce from the front. Heather quietly excused herself and moved back into the throng of people all murmuring excitedly. No one had noticed their exchange, but Veronica felt it tugging at her like an anchor.

Logan was looking around at the crowd hopefully, as if begging for someone to come and save him from this. Veronica took a deep breath, and then stepped out from behind the curtain just as the priest had started to continue.

"I object!" she called, stepping into the center of the aisle. She hadn't actually planned on attending the wedding part, but instead had just assumed she would be able to talk to Logan and made sure he knew just what he was getting into. Apparently he had, considering what Heather had told her. It didn't mean that she was going to let him throw his life away like that.

There were shocked gasps and horrified looks from every single corner of the room, but this was Veronica Mars. She got those looks on a _daily basis_. She nervously adjusted her jacket and picked at the waistband of her jeans, her eyes darting to the ground. Then, stealing a breath, she raised her eyes to Logan's face.

She wasn't really sure what she was expecting his reaction to be, but it certainly wasn't the absolute relief that was breaking across it now.

"What the hell?!" the bride shrieked, "I told everyone specifically to keep Veronica Mars _out_."

"I have my ways," Veronica said, "and apparently, you have yours. That are _not_ with your fiancée if you know what I mean," she winked cattily at the bride, "and I'm sure you do."

"Is this true?" Logan asked, his brow furrowing. To anyone else, he would look upset or discouraged, but Veronica could see through that façade and see the barely concealed euphoria. "And I thought I told you I wanted Veronica to be invited."

"She's still in love with you and now she's making up lies to split us up!" Lindsey stomped her foot, and everyone was starting to look a bit awkward.

"Veronica isn't in love—" Logan began, but Veronica cut him off.

"I have the pictures here to prove it," she said, reaching into her bag and flashing the shots at the crowd. "And so what if I'm still in love with Logan? It doesn't mean that these _aren't _true."

Lindsey looked like she was going to cry, and Logan's face went blank. Veronica backtracked on what she had said, and the words _so what if I'm still in love with Logan _filtered through her brain.

Well.

There went the notion for being 'just friends'.

"Don't say I do," Veronica started up again, her voice warbling slightly. "It's not fair to you because you deserve so much better. I'm not saying I'm good enough for-I don't know what deal your Father set up, and I don't know if it's legal or not but—" she offered him a smile, "but I _do_ know that I can get you out of it. You know me." She laughed nervously, and everyone was still staring at her.

She was afraid that the blankness on Logan's face meant she was wrong, but then a giant shit-eating grin spread across his cheeks. He came down the aisle towards her, and then looked into her eyes.

"Do you mean it?" he asked her softly, and her heart started to beat faster and faster.

"Did I mean what?"

"That you were still in love with me."

"Yes," she replied, and to her utter embarrassment, tears filled her eyes. "I didn't mean to ruin anything you had going on if I read the signs wrong—" but her words were cut off as Logan's arms encircled her and pulled her into him, her head crashing against his expensive jacket and her feet entangling with his.

"You didn't read the signs wrong," he whispered into her hair, rocking back and forth gently. "God _damn_ Veronica, how many times are you going to save me?"

"As many times as I need to," she whispered back.

"You can't do this!" the bride yelled, her face turning purple. Logan turned around, grinning.

"Actually, I can. I have someone now Lindsey, the deal is _off._"

He turned back to Veronica, and she smiled up at him as he leaned down to kiss her.

They weren't perfect, they would never be perfect, and maybe this was just like all the other times they had broken up and gotten back together, but all Veronica knew was that she hadn't seen him for years and kissing him was like a breath of fresh air.

They were together for now, and that was all that mattered.


End file.
